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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · object · kick · perch · kid · land · current · tube

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — electric
  6. land — ground
  7. kick — in football
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — to tease
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com